Enough

A poem written by Stachia Hazlet

Five degrees,

and still they look at me

as if I have to prove my worth again—

another paper, another title,

another restless night spent

chasing the whisper of respect.

They cheer when I cross the stage,

confetti of “congratulations” falling

like hollow rain.

For a moment, I am seen—

but by tomorrow

it’s only a piece of paper, they say.

Proof I showed up,

not proof of the brilliance,

the sweat, tears, and years

on my soul, it took to earn them.

I burn bright,

but in the blaze I’m burning out.

Overachieving is the language they taught me,

yet the reward is silence,

they mock me.

Laughter behind closed doors.

My knowledge questioned,

my voice dismissed,

my presence minimized—

maybe because I am a woman,

or because I refuse to quit.

When will it be enough?

When will the weight of my books,

my sacrifices,

my countless climbs up the mountain of “success”

tip the scales

so my loved ones see me,

not as a child to correct,

but as a mind to honor?

The chase is endless,

a treadmill of degrees and credentials

where the finish line keeps moving.

I ask myself—

if no one listens,

if no one believes,

if no one respects what I’ve bled for,

then what am I still running toward?

—when will I feel free?

Yet somewhere inside,

I know the answer is not in them.

It is in me.

It is in the fire that keeps me learning,

the resilience carved from doubt,

the quiet truth that even if they never see,

I am already enough.

—All of Me.